Being Truly Converted

I spoke today in the Rancho San Bernardino Ward. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak, and especially grateful to those who serve as translators.

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Good morning, dear brothers and sisters. It is always a blessing to worship with you and to feel of your love and strength. I am here by assignment from President Garvin, and I bring you his love and greetings.

As we have studied Come, Follow Me in our homes this year, we have had the opportunity to walk with the Savior and to know him better. I hope that we have also gained a desire to become more like him. That is truly why we are here on earth in this mortal life; it is why we meet here to worship Jesus Christ and to renew our covenants.

Through our studies, we have also become acquainted with Christ’s disciples, especially his chief apostle, Peter.

In an important moment, Jesus asked his disciples “Whom say ye that I am?”

Peter responded with conviction: “thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:15–17).

From this conversation, we learn that a testimony is personal knowledge of spiritual truth obtained by revelation. Think of that! We have the right to receive personal revelation from the Holy Ghost. A testimony is a gift from God, and it is available to all of His children.

The Book of Mormon tells us that we can receive revelation if we ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, and faith in Christ. (see Moroni 10:3-5).

In our studies, we joined the Savior with his disciples at the Last Supper, where he said to Peter:

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to … sift you as wheat:

“But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31–32).

What did Jesus mean when he said this? Peter had walked and talked with him. He had witnessed many miracles and heard his teachings. Wasn’t that enough?

No. Even Peter needed to be taught about the converting and sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost. Remember that they had not yet received the gift of the Holy Ghost and had no experience with it.

The gospel of Jesus Christ, and the plan of salvation, go beyond just having a testimony. To truly follow Christ requires a permanent change in our natures, made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Elder Bednar taught us that: “True conversion brings a change in one’s beliefs, heart, and life to accept and conform to the will of God (see Acts 3:19; 3 Nephi 9:20) and includes a conscious commitment to become a disciple of Christ”. (CR, Oct 2012)

True conversion enlarges our testimonies, just as a growing tree sinks its roots deep into the soil for nourishment and stability (see Alma 32). Conversion comes through revelation from God, which leads us to continue to repent, and to be obedient and diligent in living the gospel. Alma spoke of the “mighty change of heart,” and of being “spiritually born of God” (see Alma 5:12-14).

If we will honor the ordinances and covenants of salvation and exaltation (see D&C 20:25), “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ” (2 Nephi 31:20), and endure in faith to the end (see D&C 14:7), we will become new creatures in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), and we will be prepared to live with our Father in Heaven, enjoying the wonderful blessings he promises us.

Amaleki testified: “I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him” (Omni 1:26).

King Benjamin’s people responded to his teaching by exclaiming, “Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2). Accepting his words, gaining a testimony of their truthfulness, and exercising faith in Christ produced a mighty change of heart and a firm determination to improve and become better.

Samuel the Lamanite spoke of the converted Lamanites who were “striving with unwearied diligence that they may bring the remainder of their brethren to the knowledge of the truth” (Helaman 15:5–6). 

Do you recognize what they were doing? They were ministering!

Having a testimony is important. But testimony is the starting point in our journey to eternal life; it is not the destination.

Elder Bednar taught that: “Testimony alone is not and will not be enough to protect us in the latter-day storm of darkness and evil in which we are living. Testimony is important and necessary but not sufficient to provide the spiritual strength and protection we need” (CR, Oct 2012).

Doesn’t this make you think of what President Nelson said in Conference last year? “But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost” (CR, Apr 2018).

Samuel the Lamanite identified five basic elements in becoming converted unto the Lord:

(1) believing in the teachings and prophecies of the holy prophets as they are recorded in the scriptures,
(2) exercising faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
(3) repenting,
(4) experiencing a mighty change of heart, and (5) becoming “firm and steadfast in the faith” (see Helaman 15:7–8).

This is the pattern that leads to conversion.

Once we experience this mighty change of heart, we will feel a strong desire to minister to our brothers and sisters who are not enjoying the blessings of the gospel right now. We will desire with all our hearts to help them return to full fellowship in the Church.

Continuing conversion must come from a willing heart. We must feel the desire to be true followers of Jesus Christ and to walk in His footsteps. We are free to choose to follow Jesus or to be left behind.

Knowing that the gospel is true is the essence of a testimony. Being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion.

We should know the gospel is true and be true to the gospel.

Yo testifico que ésta es la iglesia verdadera de Jesúcristo. Yo sé que Russell M. Nelson es nuestro profeta viviente hoy. Él habla con dios.

Yo testifico que Díos vive. Él nos ama. Jesucristo es nuestro Salvador y redentor.

De eso les testifico, en el nombre sagrado de Jesucristo, amen.

Following the Living Prophet Through Continuing Revelation

I spoke today in my home ward and felt the guidance of the Spirit as I prepared for this one. That made it a humbling experience for me. The Stake Presidency was in attendance in our meeting, which also made it humbling. I am grateful for the privilege and responsibility that I enjoy as a High Councilor to speak regularly.

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Dear brothers and sisters, I am thankful to be here with you today, to worship our Heavenly Father on this beautiful Sabbath morning. I hope you heard the birds singing this morning. It's a reminder to me that the Lord is still at work in the world.

I bring you love and greetings from President Garvin and his counselors. They pray for you and are aware of many of your concerns.

Brother Ashton and I are here today by assignment from the Stake Presidency.

I pray for the guidance of the Spirit as I speak, so that each of us may understand what the Lord would have us learn.

In Primary, I learned a great truth: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”[1]

In Seminary, additional truths were added that made a deep impression on me. One of these was in the Doctrine and Covenants. “If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.”[2]

In the chorus of a beloved hymn, we sing

“Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with him someday.”[3]

What is the common thread here? I believe it is the doctrine of revelation. The 9^th Article of Faith declares our belief in continuing revelation, Section 42 contains the promise of personal revelation, and I Am A Child of God reminds us of our need for personal revelation.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of revelation. It was established in our day with a glorious revelation of God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ to the boy Joseph Smith. The restoration of the gospel came by revelation through Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets, and it continues today under President Russell M. Nelson, our living prophet.

When we look at these great revelations and these great revelators, we may be tempted to ask ourselves why we need personal revelation when these prophets are here to guide us. I think that is a fair question.

Do we need personal revelation? And if so, why is it important to us?

To me, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” We need personal revelation more than ever.

The prophets of our dispensation have taught some important principles concerning revelation.

Joseph Smith said:

“We believe that we have a right to revelations, visions, and dreams from God, our heavenly Father; and light and intelligence, through the gift of the Holy Ghost, in the name of Jesus Christ, on all subjects pertaining to our spiritual welfare; if it so be that we keep his commandments, so as to render ourselves worthy in his sight.”[4]

“It is the privilege of the children of God to come to God and get revelation. … God is not a respecter of persons; we all have the same privilege.”[5]

Pres. Nelson, in April Conference last year, gave us this memorable counsel:

“In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.

“My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. … Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.

“If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.”[6]

Not only are we entitled to personal revelation within our own stewardships; we are obligated to seek it. This is a principle of personal revelation.

However, we are only entitled to revelation within our own stewardships. What are our stewardships?

Brigham Young offered this comment:

“There is no doubt, if a person lives according to the revelations given to God’s people, he may have the Spirit of the Lord to signify to him his will, and to guide and to direct him in the discharge of his duties, in his temporal as well as his spiritual exercises. I am satisfied, however, that in this respect, we live far beneath our privileges.”[7]

Think of that, brothers and sisters, we could be receiving much more direction from the Lord than we are now. We must simply be willing to do the work, as President Young and President Nelson instructed.

So, our stewardships are our temporal and our spiritual duties. They include

1.     Ourselves;

2.     Our employment and volunteer activities;

3.     Our families;

4.    Those to whom we minister, while respecting their stewardships;

5.     Our callings and assignments, within the bounds designated by our file leaders and the Lord.

There are limitations placed on our stewardships. My stewardship over my family is a shared stewardship with my dear companion. Our temple covenants make this clear. I would be a poor steward without her inspiration.

Although I have been called to counsel with the Bishop and with our Elder’s Quorum Presidency, and to counsel with our Stake Presidency, I recognize that they hold the keys for our ward and our stake. Because of these keys, I can advise, but not direct them in their responsibilities. I do not have the right to receive revelation for them.

And I am certainly not entitled to receive revelation on matters of Church doctrine or policy. Only one person has that right at any given time. As soon as we begin to think otherwise, we no longer stand in holy places, but are on shaky ground.

Remember, President Nelson told us that we need to develop our ability to receive personal revelation. He promised us that “Through the manifestations of the Holy Ghost, the Lord will assist us in all our righteous pursuits.”[8]

Elder Rasband stated that “The Holy Ghost binds us to the Lord.” Isn’t that what we really need? Don’t we want to bound more securely to the Savior?

What revelation do we need in our lives? Let me suggest six areas as a starting point.

1.     Revelations leading to testimony. You have certainly received some of these revelations.

We are familiar with Joseph Smith’s experiences; we are familiar with Moroni’s promise, in which he counsels us to “ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true;” and he promises if we “shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto [us], by the power of the Holy Ghost.”[9]

If we follow this formula, not only will we gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but also a testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ and his atonement. Indeed, we may receive a revelatory witness from the Spirit regarding any and all doctrines and principles of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Moroni testified that “by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”[10]

2.    Revelations to assist in making important decisions.

President Nelson, in speaking of his own family, said “Each of these blessings has come as a result of seeking and heeding the promptings of the Holy Ghost.”[11]

Over the years, many of the apostles have echoed this sentiment as they spoke of their decisions to marry their wives in the temple.

I have sought the Lord’s direction many times in my life. Most noteworthy was when I felt that I needed Heidi in my life and asked for the Lord’s guidance. The Lord has also given me guidance in choices regarding schooling, career opportunities, and even a career change. He has directed us in countless other decisions, large and small. I know he will provide direction, if we ask.

3.    Revelations to help guide loved ones.

In our study of Come, Follow Me this year, we have already seen how Joseph received revelations that blessed his family.

An angel told him in a dream that he should take Mary as his wife; he was warned by an angel in a dream to take Mary and her son into Egypt; and he was warned once again by an angel to go to Nazareth in Galilee. His obedience to these revelations blessed his young family.

As parents and grandparents, our children and grandchildren are a significant part of our stewardship.  However, we must respect their agency, especially as adults.

Heidi has always been better at this than I have been. Even when our children were young, she helped them to seek the Lord’s guidance in deciding whether to have a surgery, for example. Because of her inspired guidance, they learned early to “counsel with the Lord in all [their] doings,” and they received his directions for good.[12]

They have been blessed beyond measure because they learned to rely on the Lord. I have been blessed as well.

4.    Revelations leading to repentance and forgiving.

Why do I mention this one? Because these revelations have been important in my life.

If we are open to the Spirit, the Lord will reveal to us the things we need to repent of. Sometimes that revelation comes through our spouses or children. This kind of revelation is not always easy to accept.

I have also experienced instances in my life where the Lord revealed to me that I needed to forgive certain individuals. This was also difficult, but it led to some choice spiritual experiences in my life. I am grateful that I have been directed to utilize the Atonement of Jesus Christ in both repenting and forgiving.

5.    Revelations regarding our callings.

I testify to you that our leaders are inspired of God in issuing callings to us. I have seen inspiration at work many, many times in the various councils I have participated in.

If we are called by inspiration, why shouldn’t we use inspiration in fulfilling our callings?

Many of the Sections in the Doctrine and Covenants came because early members came to Joseph Smith to learn God’s will for them.

The Lord is eager to inspire us to help us to magnify our callings. You have felt this as you seek to magnify your callings; I have felt it in connection with my callings. Sometimes these promptings come after much prayer and effort; other times, they come spontaneously. It may be revelation on how to teach a particular gospel truth, or on how to reach an individual in a class or quorum. The Lord is eager to provide assistance.

Most importantly, in our roles as ministering brothers and sisters, we cannot properly fulfill our responsibilities and change lives without revelation. A committed, effective, ministering brother or sister will be praying for the Lord’s guidance to bring their brother or sister closer to the Savior. Many of you have experienced this as you have served.

6.    Revelations when preparing and giving talks. Have you ever prepared a talk that just seemed to write itself? That has become a common but much appreciated experience for me as I have served as a High Councilor. At other times, I have had to struggle to know what the Lord would like me to say. Either way, I have come to trust in the Lord’s willingness to help. If I humbly seek to deliver the message he wants me to deliver, he will guide me to say what he wants me to say.

And honestly, we should all be preparing to listen to the talks every week, so we can reap the benefits of being at church.

As we listen to the speakers in our meetings, we frequently have insights given us by the Holy Ghost. Interestingly, most of these insights have little to do with the words being spoken, and more to do with the spirit that we and the speakers invite into our meetings.

And this is why reverence before sacrament meeting is so important. We all need this revelation. We all have the right to ponder quietly before the meeting in preparation to receive the promptings that are vital to us. We all have the responsibility to allow others to enjoy this quiet communion with the Spirit before our meetings.

Of course, there are many other areas of our lives where we need revelation, information from someone far wiser than we.

We often think of the temple as a house of revelation, and it should be for all of us. But the chapel should also be a place of revelation. And our homes should be just as sacred. We should stand in holy places and make the places holy where we stand.

Isaiah counseled us to:

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon”.[13]

The Lord counseled Moses:

“But if … thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”[14]

We are commanded to seek the Lord, and we are given the wonderful promise that if we seek him, he will reveal himself to us, if we seek him sincerely.

I believe very strongly that when we seek the Lord, and when we counsel with him in our doings, it should be with the desire to know his will, not to justify our own will.

Nor will the Lord force his will on us. In the hymns, we sing--or perhaps not; I have only sung this once in 60 years—the following:

“He’ll call, persuade, direct aright,
And bless with wisdom, love, and light,
In nameless ways be good and kind,
But never force the human mind.”[15]

This is the revelation we seek as we strive to follow the prophet.

I testify that God lives, and that he does reveal his mind and will to his children on earth.

I testify that Russell M. Nelson is his living prophet on earth today, and that he receives direction for the church and for the world, from our Heavenly Father.

And I know that when we receive personal revelation from our Heavenly Father, we will be enabled to follow the prophet with greater faith. God wants us to receive that revelation, I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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[1] Articles of Faith 9.

[2] Doctrine and Covenants 42:61.

[3] Randall, NW, I Am A Child of God, Hymns, 301.

[4] Letter from Joseph Smith to Isaac Galland, Mar. 22, 1839, Liberty Jail, Liberty, Missouri, published in Times and Seasons, Feb. 1840, p. 54.

[5] Discourse given by Joseph Smith about July 1839 in Commerce, Illinois; reported by Willard Richards, in Willard Richards, Pocket Companion, pp. 75, 78–79, Church Archives.

[6] Nelson, RM, Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, April 2018 General Conference, https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng

[7] Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. and arr. by John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1973, p. 32; emphasis added.

[8] Nelson, RM, Ibid.

[9] The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Moroni 10:4.

[10] Op. cit. Moroni 10:5. Italics mine.

[11] Nelson, RM, op. cit.

[12] Op. cit. Alma 37:37.

[13] KJV, Isaiah 55:6-7.

[14] KJV, Deuteronomy 4:29.

[15] Anonymous, Know This, That Every Soul Is Free, Hymns, 240.

The Blessings of Tithing

I had the blessing of speaking to the Rancho San Bernardino Ward today. This is the Spanish-speaking ward in our stake. We have many long-time friends in this ward, and we love to see them.

When I began working in a particular dental office many years ago, the receptionist caught me one day and asked: "So you're a Mormon?" to which I responded affirmatively. Her follow-up question surprised me: "So is it true that you give a tenth of your paycheck to your church?" I was happy to answer yes, and then tell her that it was because of my faith in God and his promises, that I considered it a blessing and not a burden. From then on, I sensed a deep respect from her, and from the other staff members in that office.

This is shorter than my other talks, because I had to allow time for the translator to speak. I appreciate good translators.

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Good morning, brothers and sisters. I am happy to be here among friends who have always felt like family to me. It is a blessing to be here and to worship with you today.

I bring you greetings from President Garvin and his counselors. They love you and pray for you. They are grateful for your kind acts of service, and for your faithfulness.

I pray that the Holy Ghost will be with us as I speak so that you and I will be blessed by the things I say and by things we feel here in sacrament meeting.

Today, I would like to invite all of you who do not pay tithing to gain a testimony of the law of tithing. And I would like to invite all of you who do pay your tithing to strengthen your testimonies of this important law. I will tell you how to gain that testimony and how to help your children and grandchildren receive a testimony of tithing, too.

Whenever Heavenly Father wants to bless His children, he gives them commandments. That may sound strange. But all commandments from God have blessings attached. Each blessing is a promise to us, as a gift for our faith and our obedience.

When we obey each commandment, we strengthen our covenant relationship with God, and when we do this, our love for our Heavenly Father increases.

In Heavenly Father’s Plan for our eternal salvation and happiness, He expects us to make sacrifices. This has been true since the days of Adam and Eve. In our day, we covenant in the temple to sacrifice everything we have to help the work of the Lord move forward.

Right now, the Lord doesn’t ask for everything. We give our time as we serve in church callings and serve each other. That is a sacrifice. We share our talents and skills with those around us. We often think of people who can play musical instruments or who can sing and dance as people with talent. Drawing and painting are other talents. Another talent is teaching the gospel. You may be thinking “I don’t have any talents like that; maybe I am not talented; I have nothing to give.”

But we all have talents. Some of you can cook amazing meals. Isn’t that a talent? Some of you can make people happy with a smile or an “abrazo.” That is a wonderful talent. Heavenly Father expects us to use these talents to bless others. When the Relief Society President calls and asks you to bring food to a sister who is sick, that can be a sacrifice. But we feel good when we serve, and Heavenly Father is happy when we serve his children.

One of the most challenging commandments is the law of tithing. Please note that it is not a suggestion; it is a law from God. But like all laws from God, if we obey, we will receive great blessings. Each commandment has very specific blessings connected to it.

What are those blessings? How will we be blessed?

Let’s look at the law and the promised blessings.

The law of tithing is very simple: it is that we pay 10 percent of our income to the Lord. Please note that the tithe is not just any freewill offering, and it is not a 20th or some other fraction of our income.

 Tithing must be done in the Lord’s way, or it is not tithing. If I do it my own way, I will not obtain the promised blessings.

Under the law of tithing, we are all treated equally by the Lord. The commandment is the same for all of us, and the blessings are the same, if we pay tithing. 

The prophet Malachi asked the question:

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. …

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 3:8, 10-11).

What is Malachi saying to us? Let’s look at the important points.

First, why does he say that we are robbing God when we don’t pay our tithes and offerings? Because everything we have is a gift from God. Since he has given us everything, we can show our thanks by giving a little bit back to him.

Second, God invites us to test him. When he invites us to prove him, he is telling us “try it and see.” Do we have enough faith to do that? I testify that he keeps his promises.

Third, have you ever thought about the first part of the promise to us? The Lord has promised to “open the windows of heaven.” I invite each of you to ponder what that means to you. That will motivate you to act in faith.

Fourth, the Lord promises to pour out so many blessings that we will not have room to receive them. When we refuse to pay tithing, we are refusing those promised blessings. I will say more about that in a minute.

Finally, the promises in the last verse to rebuke the devourer for our sakes, and that our crops will be healthy and productive. That image meant a great deal to people who relied on farms and gardens. But what does it mean to us?

I believe that rebuking the devourer means that things we rely on will last longer. Perhaps our clothing will not wear out so quickly. Maybe we will not need to replace things so soon. Sometimes it means that we stay healthy enough to work. We have to look a little closer to recognize these blessings. But please remember that when things do wear out, or when we struggle with illness and other challenges, it does not mean that we are not faithful. Sometimes we have trouble paying all the bills. That does not mean we are unfaithful. Throughout our lives, the Lord will also give us tests and trials to see if we will continue to follow him.

The blessing of healthy crops was, and is, a blessing of prosperity. We are promised that if we pay our tithing, we will prosper.

President Hinckley spoke of this when he told the Filipino saints: “The Lord will keep His ancient promise in [your] behalf, and [you] will have rice in [your] bowls and clothing on [your] backs and shelter over [your] heads.”

He told another group of members: “Some of you have money problems. I know that. There is never enough money in your homes. I know that. You are struggling to get along. What is the cure? The only thing I know of is payment of tithing. Now, that doesn’t mean that you will have a Cadillac and a mansion. But it was God who made the promise that He would open the windows of heaven and pour down blessings upon those who walked honestly with Him in the payment of their tithes and offerings, and He has the capacity to keep His promise. It is my testimony that He does keep that promise”

It is important to remember that prosperity is not just about money and possessions. Prosperity is also about our spiritual health: about having firm testimonies of the Savior and of his gospel, and the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to follow Christ. To have that strength is to prosper.

Most important is that we cannot enjoy the blessings of the temple unless we pay tithing. If I do not pay a full tithe, I will not lose my membership in the Church, but I will lose the blessings that Heavenly Father has promised me. And that includes the promise of an eternal family.

Sister Stevenson and I have been married almost 35 years. During that time we have always paid a full tithe. At times we struggled, but when we look back on those 35 years, we realize that we have always had a place to live; we certainly have not starved; I have always had a job, and I almost never take sick days. This is how we have been blessed by paying tithing. I do not say this to boast, but to express gratitude to Heavenly Father.

We also have the blessing to pay fast offerings every month. These consecrated funds bless members in our own wards and stake. Bishop De La Roca is blessed with the inspiration to use these sacred funds wisely. In addition to the blessings of paying tithing, we have been promised blessings of increased love and spirituality when we pay fast offerings.

We also have the opportunity to contribute to the missionary fund, to temple building, to helping with disasters, and to spreading the Book of Mormon. Each of these brings wonderful blessings as well. We must use wisdom in our contributions, but we know that what we give the Lord will be used appropriately.

The Lord doesn’t expect us to give everything we have, but he does expect us to do what we can.

Let me return to my invitation at the beginning of my talk. How can we receive a testimony of the law of tithing?

We receive it the same way we receive a testimony of any of God’s commandments: by keeping the commandment. We will receive a witness by paying tithing; by accepting the Lord’s promise and testing it.

In answering a challenge from the Pharisees, Jesus said,

“My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:16,17).

If we obey the law of tithing, we will gain a testimony of it.

Heavenly Father is not weak like we are. He keeps His promises.

  

At this point, I shared my testimony in Spanish, because I love my Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters. I believe that this helps them to feel that. If there are any accent marks missing, please forgive me.

Hermanos y hermanas, yo testifico que la ley del diezmo es de Díos. Cuando pagamos el diezmo, recibimos bendiciones de nuestro Padre Celestial. Yo sé que es un principio verdadero. No pagamos el diezmo porque temenos dinero; pagamos porque tienen fé. Cuando guardamos los mandamientos, seremos bendecidos.

Yo testifico que Díos vive. Él nos ama. Jesucristo es nuestro Salvador y redentor.

Hermanos y hermanas, les amo a ustedes. Doy gracias por la oportunidad de visitar con ustedes.

En el nombre sagrado de Jesucristo, amen.